WPF Controls
Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) provides a rich set of controls that enable developers to build sophisticated user interfaces for desktop applications. These controls are highly customizable and can be styled and templated to meet specific design requirements.
Common Control Categories
WPF controls can be broadly categorized:
- Content Controls: Display a single piece of content. Examples include
Button,Label,TextBlock,Image. - Items Controls: Display a collection of items. Examples include
ListBox,ListView,TreeView,DataGrid. - Composite Controls: Combine multiple basic controls into a single, more complex control. Examples include
TextBox,ComboBox,Slider,ScrollBar. - Panel Controls: Arrange child elements within a specific layout. Examples include
Grid,StackPanel,DockPanel,Canvas.
Key Controls and Their Usage
Button
The Button control is used to raise an event when clicked. It can contain various types of content, including text and images.
<Button Content="Click Me" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Click="Button_Click"/>In C# code-behind:
private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
MessageBox.Show("Button clicked!");
}TextBlock vs. TextBox
TextBlock is used for displaying read-only text, while TextBox allows user input.
<TextBlock Text="This is read-only text."/>
<TextBox Text="This is editable text."/>ListView and DataGrid
These controls are essential for displaying collections of data. ListView offers more flexibility in item presentation, while DataGrid is optimized for tabular data with features like sorting and editing.
<ListView ItemsSource="{Binding MyItems}">
<ListView.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>
</DataTemplate>
</ListView.ItemTemplate>
</ListView>
<DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding MyComplexData}" AutoGenerateColumns="False">
<DataGrid.Columns>
<DataGridTextColumn Header="ID" Binding="{Binding Id}" IsReadOnly="True"/>
<DataGridTextColumn Header="Name" Binding="{Binding Name}"/>
</DataGrid.Columns>
</DataGrid>Styling and Templating
One of WPF's strengths is its powerful styling and templating system. You can completely redefine the visual appearance and behavior of controls using Control Templates and Styles.